Love Matters: How a podcast is shaping conversations on love, relationships, and more

 

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Leeza: When were you introduced to the idea of love growing up?

Suvir: I was in school when my mother introduced me to the concept of sex and consent. She wouldn’t shy away from having discussions about the subject.

Saurabh: Things have evolved now. People’s views about sex have changed. Now, we are ready to have public discussions about how love intersects with gender roles, caste, sexuality and more. This is largely in part due to cultural imports that have attuned us and made us more aware about the world around us. The landmark judgement in 2018 that decriminalised homosexuality is also one major reason why we have been liberated and dared to come out. However, beyond our bubble of literate cis-gendered upper caste society, these ideas are still shunned. So, we have a very long task ahead of us!

Padmapriya: Sex was a very hush-hush topic for us. My parents never addressed it openly with me. In school, I remember we were segregated into groups where the girls were taught about menstruation and reproduction in a separate room than boys. Most of us also learnt about sex from porn, which is definitely not the best source of sex education.

Leeza: What freedoms do you have today that the older generations might not have had?

Saurabh: To hold my partner of 20 years without shame or safety concerns. A chance to live together as two proud gay men, but not being able to give it a name — the tag of a marriage. Without this legal recognition, we are denied basic rights that might be taken for granted by heterosexual individuals. So, we are still second-class citizens in our own country.

Padmapriya: We, today, have a rare opportunity to address these vital topics. My own parents struggled with their marriage, but were never able to have an open conversation about it, in fear of societal pressure and norms.

Suvir: An opportunity to be comfortable in who you are. Be unabashedly yourself and authentic to your true feelings.

Leeza: What is the craziest thing you have done for love?

Padmapriya: I was in New York City when I fell in love for the first time. I went to the local store and bought flowers. It was midnight and I was just jumping, singing and distributing these flowers to random strangers.

Saurabh: Come out to my parents and bring my partner home.

Suvir: I was conned by a man I liked. In a few months, he emptied out my bank account. I was obviously devastated, but my grandmother told me to not get bogged down because the best thing I could do for myself was to still have hope in love despite everything.

Started in 2021, ‘Love Matters’ has featured remarkable personalities such as writer and filmmaker Anurag Minus Verma, actor Chhavi Mittal, sexual health educator Dr Tanaya Narendra, among others. Previously hosted by Indian actor Evelyn Sharma, Mangaldas has now been roped in for its latest season.

Talking about the event, Anant Goenka, executive director, Indian Express, said love is the only thing that can transverse different identities, such as race, caste, religion or gender, and help question these rigid hierarchies. Agreeing, Peter Limbourg, director-general, DW, said that love promotes freedom. “Hate is a strong feeling, but love and passion surpass everything, thereby helping society as a whole.”

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